Describes problems undergraduate psychology faculty members encounter as they are forced to adapt to the increasingly diverse needs of their students. Faculty members must learn to be flexible and open to the idea of personal growth and professional development. (AM)

Reviews major areas of interest in the future of undergraduate psychology education. Educators will be concerned with the increasingly diverse student needs, the value of a liberal arts education, and the need for personal and professional growth. The debate over educational objectives and program course content will continue. (AM)

Two ways to approach college teaching improvement are: (1) instructor development, which involves the improvement of teaching abilities over time; and (2) in-class improvement of instructional effectiveness within a particular course during the academic term. Recommendations are given for a student-rating feedback system, and a course evaluation…

Contains suggestions from five teachers on (1) the power of imagery and lessons on poetic form, (2) a writing assignment designed to arouse students' memories in writing, (3) the uses of free writing, and (4) the value of writers' conferences for writing teachers. (RL)

Sources of teacher stress in private boarding schools include the expectations placed on teachers, poor administrative leadership, the physical environment, time pressures, and age differences or similarities with colleagues and students. Coping with stress may involve lowered expectations, better personal health care, consistent supervision,…

Factors that influence student evaluation of teaching are analyzed. Evaluations carried out at Wilfrid Laurier University show that grades granted by instructors do not relate significantly to the evaluations of that instructor by students. Factors that do relate include early morning classes, small classes, optional subjects, and senior classes.…

Meager or nonexistent faculty reward systems are seen as hampering continuing medical education programs conducted by U.S. medical schools. A survey conducted by faculty members of the University of Washington Division of Continuing Medical Education to ascertain the importance of a faculty reward system is discussed. (Author/MLW)

North Texas State University's recently established faculty development program includes efforts at the university, college, and department levels, such as discussions with consultants, sharing of papers and presentations previously given by faculty members at a one-day conference, and weekday retreats to examine goals and curriculum. (MSE)

Elementary principals (48) and elementary teachers (57) prioritized 24 possible professional growth methods. Supporting previous research, first priority item was "workshops at schools." Other highly rated methods were observation of other teachers, classroom demonstrations, participation in curriculum development, and personal analysis of…

New teacher education programs include a number of field experiences. College professors in schools of education are taking leaves of absence to gain additional public school teaching experience. Both the college professor and the public school teacher benefit from this practice. (JN)

Staff development activities are most likely to succeed when the characteristics of those affected by the proposed changes are taken into consideration. Some teacher characteristics with related questions for administrators when planning staff development activities are discussed: traditionalism, need for recognition and participation, fear of…

A personal approach to instructional development that uses teaching consultants is described and illustrated with anecdotes from the first year of one such service at a large midwestern university. This individualized approach emphasizes the particular needs, interests, and limitations of each teacher-client on a case-by-case basis. (JMD)

The problem of declining opportunities for young doctorates primarily due to reductions or leveling of enrollments coupled with low faculty turnover is addressed. Alternatives are discussed for maintaining or improving U.S. research efforts through greater use of young researchers. (Author/MLW)

In developing criterion-referenced reading tests, staff in a Skokie (Illinois) school district answered parents' concerns about accountability, participated in a valuable inservice learning experience, and achieved coordination between elementary and junior high programs. (Author/WD)

The teaching "case study" of an outstanding teacher who improved through participation in a teaching/learning research project is described. Data from the study show that students learned significantly more from him at the end of the project than they did at the beginning. (MLW)